India & Russia Relation

1. India expects Russia to be more involved in the Indo-Pacific and to look to its own interests in the region.

2. This will create a mutual basis for cooperation and dialogue.

3. Investments in Vietnam’s oil and gas sector is seen as one of the areas of cooperation as both India and Russia have planned to invest in this sector.

4. India also sees Russia as a very important Pacific power

5. Russia has an interest in the Indian Ocean and India has an interest in the Pacific Ocean.

6. As, Indo-Pacific is seen as a geographic continuum for cooperation and for certain principles, India wants Indo-Pacific region to be free and fair for everyone.

7. Russia views its engagement would create new divisions especially with respect to containment of China.

8. On the other hand, India neither views it as containment nor non-containment but as a positive construct that brings together countries on the basis of certain principles.

South China sea

1. A stable Indo-Pacific assumes particular importance for Russia with the proposed energy bridge from the Arctic to Vladivostok to Chennai.

2. There have been stand-offs between China and Vietnam in the South China Sea due to overlapping claims close to the Indian oil blocks in Vietnam’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

3. Both India and Russia see ASEAN (Association of SouthEast Asian Nations) centrality as critical to the Indo-Pacific concept.